How to Plant an Arborvitae Hedge
Are you looking to plant an arborvitae hedge in your landscape but aren’t sure where to start? Let’s walk through everything you need to know to plant a striking arborvitae hedge, from choosing a plant to getting the plants in the ground.
Choosing a location for your arborvitae hedge
Before you begin looking for an arborvitae to plant, you need to figure out where you want to plant your arborvitae hedge. Is there an area of your yard that needs privacy, perhaps from neighbors or a busy street? Or maybe you are looking to reduce noise pollution, create a wind block, or hide unsightly views.
Whatever your reasons, pick a location that will get the job done.
A sunny location with moist, well-drained soil will be important, as arborvitae require at least four hours of sunlight daily to thrive and grow best with moist but not wet soil.
At least four hours of sun each day
Choosing an arborvitae for your hedge
It’s essential that you choose an arborvitae that fits your needs and space. For example, if you are looking for a tall, narrow arborvitae that will fill in quickly, Full Speed A Hedge ‘American Pillar’ or Thin Man will give you the privacy you need in no time and take up less real estate than other arborvitae (see a comparison of popular arborvitae varieties).
Check out the Full Speed a Hedge arborvitaes
Measuring and spacing your hedge
Now that you know how to choose an arborvitae that suits your needs, you’ll have to figure out how many plants are required to achieve your goals.
Measure the length and width of your space. This is also when you should plan how you’d like your hedge laid out. Knowing whether you want dense spacing or loose spacing and if you’d like a straight line or a staggered line will ensure the planting process goes smoothly.
When spacing your arborvitae, you’ll want to measure from trunk to trunk. For denser spacing, you’ll use the lower end of your arborvitae’s width range or slightly below it, and for looser spacing, you’ll use the mid to upper end of the range.
For example, Full Speed A Hedge ‘American Pillar’ arborvitae has a width range of 3-5’ wide, so for a dense hedge, we recommend planting them 2.5’ apart. For looser spacing, you could plant them 4’ apart.
Planting your arborvitae hedge
The first thing you are going to want to do is prep your planting site by removing any grass, weeds, or debris from the area. Check out this video of Kristina prepping space for her arborvitae hedge.
Measure the distance into the bed that you would like your arborvitae to sit and how far apart you would like them spaced using one of the methods mentioned in the section above. To make it easier on yourself, you can use stakes or flags to mark out where each arborvitae should be planted for the hedge.
Continuing with our Full Speed A Hedge ‘American Pillar’ arborvitae example, you’ll want to make sure your arborvitaes are situated 2-2.5’ from any fences, property lines, or the edge of the garden bed. This will give your arborvitaes room to grow into their space without outgrowing it.
When you have everything planned out, you can begin the planting.
- Dig the hole for your arborvitae, making sure the hole is just as deep as the arborvitae’s container and twice as wide so you have wiggle room to situate your hedge in a straight line.
- Pop your arborvitae out of its pot and rough up the root ball.
- Place your arborvitae into the hole you dug and backfill with the soil you removed while digging the hole.
- Once all your arborvitae are planted, water each thoroughly.
- Apply a layer of mulch around your arborvitae hedge.
For a detailed demonstration of how to mark out and plant an arborvitae hedge, check out the video here, where Kristina walks you through how to get your arborvitae hedge in the ground.
Caring for your arborvitae hedge
Now that your arborvitae hedge is planted, you’ll have to care for it to ensure it thrives.
Make sure the soil around your arborvitae hedge stays moist but not overly wet. It is especially important to keep your hedge well watered during its first year. After the first year, you’ll want to monitor soil moisture and water when appropriate for the arborvitae you’ve chosen.
An all-purpose fertilizer can be added to your arborvitae hedge each spring.
If you struggle with deer in your area, you will need to protect your arborvitae hedge with netting (especially for young plantings) or a repellent. Full Speed A Hedge ‘American Pillar’ is more deer resistant than other arborvitae, but if deer are a problem for you, they will still need to be protected, at least for their first year.
